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29 August 2011

Father's day, What carriers do father's use?

It will be Father's Day this coming Sunday, the 4th of september. A day to celebrate the amazing experience that fatherhood can be.

Especially for men who spend time and interact with their babies from a very young age. Fathers Day is often a time where kids give their father or grandfather a gift to celebrate how special they are in their lives. Here at Tinoki we suggest that one of the best ways to create a great relationship as your child grows and into the future is to babywear. Often in the first initial months of a baby’s life fathers struggle to develop an equally close but individual relationship with their young child. With a sling/carrier he can be involoved in the baby's life from the very earliest stage, with the baby safely tucked on his front.

Lots of Mums want the dads to become more involved and lots of dads want to step up to the plate more. Here is the Answer, Find a carrier that is comfortable, and keep your baby close and happy while you go about your life.

Many men prefer buckles to ties. It seems that they are less intimidating, and more 'manly'then tying knots (at least they appear that way to many men, probably not those who sail). The Manduca Carrier is one of our top picks for fathers. It is adjustable. The straps can be crossed in both front and back. And it is available in plain black and brown, and also in a range of limited edition prints that are still not particularly challenging.

Of Course, babywearing is about not just forming a close bond and about having a comfortable carrier but also a way to expressing one’s individuality. Some men will prefer to use a Babyhawk Mei Tai to express their personality.

A Mei Tai is a great multi-purpose carrier unlike a buckle carrier where every bit needs to be adjusted between wearers. A Mei Tai has two straps which tie around the waist and two longer straps that come over the shoulders and tie under the baby.

For Those who prefer a less patterned carrier, the Maya Tie comes in olive green, black and dark blue. All perfect for wearing with jeans and a t-shirt. It also comes in a black and white design as does the Didy-Tai.

Once they get more used to carrying men often like the feel of a Woven Wrap which will allow them the flexibility of doing multiple different carries. A woven wrap is the most versatile carrier available. For many men it is inportant to make sure they have manly colours and a long enough wrap. So consider buying a 5.2m wrap if you are a big guy.

And while a ring sling is not many men's first choice of carrier, it may be just what some father's need to carry their baby or toddler. So don't discount these great carriers when looking at your options.

Whatever carrier you decide to use, fathers who wear their babies are able to form a strong bond in the early days.They are often able to sooth an unhappy baby. They have a tool to help their child sleep, to settle, to get comfortable. By sharing the responsibily of giving their children the best start in life these fathers are able to fully support their family in the transition to a (larger) family.